Some dogs chase tennis balls, others chase hockey pucks. Barclay, the yellow Labrador Retriever   puppy the St. Louis Blues adopted, enjoys the latter.

The team’s front office “signed” Barclay to an 18-month contract so he can train as hard as the players. However, rather than measuring his success in wins and goals, Barclay’s performance will be monitored quite differently.

That’s because the Blues partnered with Duo, a local non-profit that provides specially trained “assistance dogs to individuals with disabilities, therapy dog services to at-risk and ill populations, reading assistance to area students, and educational programming to schools and businesses.”

The Blues will be training Barclay for a lifetime role that will allow someone independence and a constant source of affection. The pup will attend team events and home games over the next 18 months so he’s exposed to a wide variety of social and environmental situations.

“We’re unbelievably excited for this and the office is through the roof about it,” said Randy Girsch, the Blues’ Vice President of Community Development & Event Management. “It’s a new way to give back to the community in ways we haven’t been able to give back before, and the way these dogs work and give back is special. What Duo does is truly amazing.”

Barclay has been working hard since his official debut on Nov. 9, but the team has also made sure he’s been exposed to some fun, too. On Thursday, he took to the ice during practice and even got the hang of how to handle a hockey stick.

 

 

 

As excited as Barclay was to get on the ice, his team is just as thrilled to see what the future holds.

“We’re excited to be involved in this process as the dog will then go to a deserving Duo client,” said Hannah Arnold, the Blues’ Director of Community Development & Blues for Kids. “Whether that be someone in a wheelchair with limited abilities, or for a child in a courtroom that will be comforted by the dog, we’re proud to be involved in the dog’s upbringing.”